Imagine writing a song everyday for 1000 days. It’s a huge task few would dare take on, but singer-songwriter Dan Weintraub doesn’t mind the challenge. “For me, music is the place where I feel the most at home,” he explains. “The place where I feel like I can express myself most clearly.” For Weintraub, music isn’t work – it’s therapy. And it’s been that way since he started recording and performing in the mid-80s. Raised on everything from punk rock to jazz, he’s opened for Tracy Chapman, played in a country/rockabilly group with Graham Cassano of Blue Pontiac, and spent his college years polishing skills in a Grateful Dead cover band. In 2008 he released his self-titled debut EP – a folk-inspired effort recorded with punk rock royalty Geza X and Paul Roessler; and in 2016 tracked a second EP with Roessler. But even with 30+ years of musical experience, Weintraub still opts to pursue art for art’s sake. His day job includes teaching history and coaching soccer at a private high school near Dartmouth College in New Hampshire – a role that’s personally fulflling, but comes with diffcult challenges. One of those challenges occurred in late 2016 when tragedy struck the local community. His student Janie Chase Cozzi was killed in a horrendous car accident with four of her friends, including her childhood best friend Mary. “Janie was on the soccer team I coach and in my history class. At a boarding school, you get very close to the kids you teach and coach. When she died I was shattered. Janie was such an enormous presence. Her light burned so brightly.” Attempting to fnd meaning in the tragedy and mend the broken hearts of the community, Weintraub turned to what he knows best: music. He wrote an EP titled Songs for Beautiful Souls to honor Janie and her friends. And in summer 2017, he’ll be embarking on a tour of the same name to share their message. “The songs are all about love – how it’s always present, how it’s timeless, and how it guides us when we’re having trouble seeing or believing.” Today, even in the midst of life’s challenges, Weintraub’s 1000 song challenge continues. At the time of writing, he’s created 380 songs. When tour rolls around he’ll have written over 580 – something he insists isn’t work. It’s therapy.